Game device



April 27 1926. I

. A. T VOELKER GAME DEVICE Filed July 23 1925 Patented Apr. 27, 1926.

UNITED, srArEs PATENT ""oFF IcE .1

ALFRED '1. VOELKER, OF GLASSBORC NEW JERSEY.

GAME DEVICE.

Application filed July 23, 1925. Serial No. 45,589.

J '0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALFRED .T. VoEnKER,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Glassboro, in the county of Gloucester and State of New'Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to game devices and its object is to provide a device in the form,

of a paddle which may be used with a rubher ball to play various games interesting to the old as well as the young and requiring the exercise of the mind and body.

This object, and other advantageous ends which will be described hereinafter, I attain in the following manner, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is an edge view partly in-section of my paddle diagrammatically illustrating its use with a ball,

Figure 2 an enlarged fragmentary central section through the paddle shown in Figure 1,

Figure 3 a plan view of thepaddle, Figure 4 a like view of one face of an other form of paddle,

Figure 5 a like view of the other face, and

Figure 6 a fragmentary longitudinal section through the handle.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a paddle and 2 a handle on the paddle. The paddle has one or more circular openings 3 in which a rubber ball 4 is caught as shown in Figure 1. The diameter of the opening is smaller than that of the ball and is of such size that the ball may be easily caught therein. Handle 2 has a dished part 5 on its opposite sides in which ball 4 may be caught as shown in Figure 6.

The principle of the game is that the ball shall be caught by the contestant in the opening of the paddle or the dished part of the handle. Many rules may be made for playing a game according to this principle.

For example, with a paddle having one.

score points may be varied, and the length of the game may be limited by a final score, the number of times each player plays the ball, or by a certain time within which the player must obtain" the highest score to win.

With a paddle having more than one opening, as shown in Figure 4, the openings may be numbered, colored or marked in any manner to indicate score points and vary the order in which the openings are to be played. For example, the openings, as shown in Figure 4, have odd numbers on oneside 0f the paddle, and even numbers on the other side of the paddle, as shown in Figure 5, or they may be numbered 1 to 7 on one side and 8 to 14 on the other side. These numbers may be arranged in uniform or zig-zag lines. The number of openings to be used and the different ways they are to be arranged and marked depends on the degree of difficulty desired. For playing with a paddle of this type, a game may be played by catching a ball at one side in opening number 1, then on the other side in opening number 2, or it may be caught on one side 1n opening numher 1 and on the same side in opening number all the openings or the one obtaining the highest score within a certain time. More skillful games may be arranged which require the player to catch the ball in one or both dished parts 5 of thehandle after .01)- taining a certain score or after playing a certain number of openings 3. The openings of the paddles and the dished parts of the handle may be arranged and rules may be made for playing easy and difiicult games.

In bouncing a ball against the ground or a wall and in givingthe paddle the proper movements'for catching the ball a person moves and bends the body in diiferent ways and constantly keeps the mind scheming on how to catch the ball, and thus exercises the mind and body. I

YWhile I have described my invention as taking a particular form, it will be under stood that the various parts may be changed without departing from the spirit thereof, and hence I do not limit myself to the precise construction set forth, but consider that I am at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly come within the scope of the appended claim.

,Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is A paddle having an opening therein, and a handle on the paddle having a dished part, the opening and dished part being adapted 10 for catching a ball.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ALFRED T. VOELKER. 

